Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#1

Post by 0xdeadc0de » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 7:47 PM UTC

Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release
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Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#2

Post by jorgecastillo » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 9:08 PM UTC

I don't really care whether base-10 or base-2 is used to measure data as long as it's standard for all hardware and software.

Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#3

Post by barnaby » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 9:16 PM UTC

I'm amazed at the depth Canonical are going into in order to make the user experience for Ubuntu as simple and stunning as possible. It's this kind of attention to detail is making Ubuntu the number one OS out there.

Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#4

Post by macco » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 9:52 PM UTC

barnaby wrote: post #3

I'm amazed at the depth Canonical are going into in order to make the user experience for Ubuntu as simple and stunning as possible. It's this kind of attention to detail is making Ubuntu the number one OS out there.

I think it is great that they are caring about the non-technical user. Why should be a kilo = 1024? It is 1000 - everybody knows this. :)

Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#5

Post by klodolph » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 10:13 PM UTC

Yes, yes, YES! I loathe the 1024-byte kilobyte.

Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#6

Post by nova » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 10:18 PM UTC

KB does exist, it's a Kelvin-byte.

Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#7

Post by AngryParsley » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 10:25 PM UTC

barnaby wrote: post #3

I'm amazed at the depth Canonical are going into in order to make the user experience for Ubuntu as simple and stunning as possible. It's this kind of attention to detail is making Ubuntu the number one OS out there.

Compared to OS X or Windows, I'd say Ubuntu gets a lot of details wrong. The window button positioning was a recent example, but it's by no means the first. Below are some bugs that I have experienced while using 9.10 or 10.04 beta. I also noted the year they were filed.

Lots of redundant fonts: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/18666 (2005)

Copy-pasting text is broken in some apps. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/11334 (late 2004)

No way to auto-arrange desktop icons. https://bugs.launchpad.net/nautilus/+bug/20284 (2005, https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nautilus/+bug/1260... is related)

No ability to change individual screensaver settings. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-screensaver/... (2005)

Can't read some DVDs without using sudo/root. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/util-linux/+bug/10... (late 2004)

Setting volume to 0 doesn't mute speakers. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/16454 (2005)

Ubuntu is improving (9.10 finally fixed a bunch of problems with Intel graphics), but the user experience details are definitely a weak spot. Considering how old these bugs are, I don't expect the situation to improve any time soon.

Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#8

Post by derefr » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 10:41 PM UTC

macco wrote: post #4

barnaby wrote: post #3

I'm amazed at the depth Canonical are going into in order to make the user experience for Ubuntu as simple and stunning as possible. It's this kind of attention to detail is making Ubuntu the number one OS out there.

I think it is great that they are caring about the non-technical user. Why should be a kilo = 1024? It is 1000 - everybody knows this. :)

And then, when one of those non-technical users buys a "500GB hard drive", they'll actually be "getting" 500GB [according to their computer], instead of only 465.6. That oughta make everyone's lives a bit less anxietal.

Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#9

Post by axod » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 10:46 PM UTC

This is like the half metrication of the UK. You end up with 2 systems, and twice as much confusion.

Base 2 is far more logical and useful IMHO :/

Wouldn't it be so much simpler if humans had evolved to have 16 fingers instead of 10...

Re: Ubuntu Will Switch To Base-10 File Size Units In Future Release

#10

Post by AngryParsley » Sat, Mar 27, 2010, 11:04 PM UTC

axod wrote: post #9

This is like the half metrication of the UK. You end up with 2 systems, and twice as much confusion. Base 2 is far more logical and useful IMHO :/ Wouldn't it be so much simpler if humans had evolved to have 16 fingers instead of 10...

We should use imperial units since they're more natural/intuitive/(insert rationalization here):

1 InchByte = 2.54 bytes = approximately pi bits (Edit: oops, it's about 20 bits. I divided where I should have multiplied.)

1 FootByte = 30.5 bytes

1 YardByte = 91.4 bytes

1 RodByte = 503 bytes

1 MileByte = 160,934 bytes

1 AUByte = 14.7 terabytes

1 LightYearByte = 841 petabytes

So 1 megabyte is almost exactly 2^15 footbytes. (1MB = 6.2 milebytes = 10,941 yardbytes = 32,786 footbytes)

Fun fact I learned while doing these calculations: There are 63,239 AUs in one light-year and 63,360 inches in one mile. So if you want to get a better idea of interstellar distances, imagine everything scaled down. E.G. if Earth was 1 inch from the Sun then Alpha Centauri would be 4 miles away.